


Becoming Carol

by CarolPeletier



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:33:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29571081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarolPeletier/pseuds/CarolPeletier
Summary: Carol finds her chance to take her daughter and leave her abusive husband.  Little does she know that the monster she left behind is not the last one she'll face.  Not by a long shot.  AU/ZA.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Becoming Carol

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead. All characters belong to the creators of the television series and graphic novels.

Becoming Carol

Chapter 1

She woke with a throbbing pain in her left temple, and the first sound she heard as morning light snuck between the cracks of her eyelids was a pained moan escaping her lips. For a moment, she was stuck in that foggy haze before vivid dreams disappeared with the lucid realization that a new morning had come. For a moment, the throbbing in her head felt like remnants of an excruciatingly painful argument, though, oddly, not a violent one. A fleeting, hollow feeling in the pit of her gut had ripped through her like the most important person in the world to her had turned against her. She could hear an echo in the far reaches of her memories. _Never shoulda got off that boat._ For a moment, bright blue eyes and chiseled features accompanied that voice before the morning snatched the memories away, leaving her blinking her bleary eyes up at the water-stained stucco ceiling.

She winced as the pain in the side of her neck and the pain in her head hit her like a tidal wave. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling that familiar, rough carpet she’d begged Ed to replace a dozen times in the past five years. She furrowed her brows then, wondering why this familiar feeling felt so distant at the same time. It hit her the way certain colors and smells could take a person back to a time many years ago, like the distinct scent of glue and crayons on the first day of Kindergarten. It was like Déjà vu, though she’d swung her legs over this bed a thousand times or more.

And then the pain hit her again. She winced and rubbed the sides of her head with her fingertips. A deep breath in brought a twinge to her side, her ribs still sore from a previous altercation with Ed two weeks ago.

She glanced at the clock. Six-forty-four. Moments later, the alarm went off down the hall in Sophia’s room, and she heard the creak of boxes springs followed by sleepy footsteps creeping down the hall to the small bathroom. 

Carol stood, holding onto the post at the end of the bed, and she took a few deep breaths, steadying her nerves before she bent down to reach under the bed. She grunted, pulling out a fully-packed suitcase. She’d had it ready for two days and had been biding her time. But it was Monday now, and while she hadn’t slept well all night, mostly lying awake and barely breathing as she waited for Ed to roll out of bed at five, she’d dozed off somewhere after four but had been keenly aware of his heavy footsteps clomping down the hall to take his shower. 

He was gone. His hour-long drive to work, nine hour shift and hour long drive back would give her ample opportunity to put as much distance as possible between them

“Mom?” Carol jolted out of her thoughts and turned to see Sophia standing in the doorway, her hair a mess from sleep. Sophia’s gaze moved down to the suitcase, and her eyebrows rose. “Is it like last time?” Carol felt a twinge in her heart. Last time, they’d stayed at the shelter for a day and a half before going back home. She would lie awake many nights regretting that decision.

“No.” She turned to her daughter and crossed the room in three strides. Placing her hands on her twelve-year-old daughter’s shoulders, she looked her right in the eyes. “We’re not coming back.” She searched those sparkling eyes, the eyes she fell in love with the day she brought her baby girl into the world, and she saw a wave of relief flood through them.

“Where will we go?”

“I don’t know. We’ll figure something out, but we have to go now. Ok?” Sophia nodded quickly. “I need you to pack a bag and fast, ok? Be ready to go in ten minutes.” Sophia turned quickly and rushed back to her room, while Carol unzipped the suitcase and searched for the ziplock bag she’d put in a zippered compartment. Inside was exactly four thousand dollars. Ed had allotted her five hundred dollars every two weeks to buy groceries and other things for the house, and any chance she could, she’d save back a twenty or three. Thankfully, Ed had been more lax in the past couple years, not checking receipts like he did when Sophia was young. And with Sophia growing and not needing expensive things like diapers and formula, it was much easier to shave a couple of twenties off of the stack without Ed noticing. 

She counted the money again quickly and put it back safely in her suitcase. Ten minutes later, she was dressed and loading everything into the back of her clunky Jeep Cherokee. She’d had the old thing since before she and Ed had gotten married. It had been reliable and still ran well. Now it was going to help her finally break free.

Sophia came banging out the front screen door wearing her favorite khakis and an old blue shirt with a rainbow across the front. She had a backpack slung over one shoulder and her small suitcase in her other hand.

“I’m ready.”

“Did you get everything? Did you pack underwear and shoes?”

“Three changes worth,” Sophia said with a nod. She knew the drill. She’d packed these bags before, each time with the hope they wouldn’t come back, and Carol knew that. But this was real. This was happening. They weren’t coming back. No matter what happened, Carol was going to fight tooth and nail to keep Ed away from them for good, physically and legally. But first things first. She had to get out and get away.

“Is there anything left you want to bring? If you forgot anything, go get it now, because we’re not coming back.” Sophia looked back at the house for a moment and shook her head.

“I just wanna go. I wanna get out of here.” Carol reached out and took her daughter’s hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Me too. Come on. Let’s get outta here.” 


End file.
